2006 Hungarian Grand Prix - Preview
Midland Formula 1 Racing has arrived in Budapest, ready to
compete in Round 13 of the FIA Formula One World Championship,
the Hungarian Grand Prix, on Sunday, August 6th.
Although disappointed by the FIA's decision to exclude both
cars from the results of last weekend's German Grand Prix
at Hockenheim, the team remains determined to aggressively
challenge its rivals for the remainder of the season and continue
building upon its increasingly competitive race performance.
Located some 22 km north-east of downtown Budapest, the Hungaroring
lies nestled in a natural valley that offers spectacular views
of much of the circuit. Tight, twisty and technical, the track
tends to produce some of the slowest and closest racing on
the Grand Prix calendar. Drivers must be in peak mental and
physical condition to overcome the circuit's varying grip
levels and typically high ambient temperatures.
Tiago Monteiro (POR), Car #18: "I love
Budapest! It`s such a beautiful and fantastic city, so everybody
likes coming here, although I remember from last year that
it`s always very hot, so fitness will be a factor. The track
sits in a valley, so dust and humidity also play a role during
the race weekend, and the course is tight - a bit like Monaco
without the barriers! I had a good race here last year and
hope that we can continue our improved performances of late.
The track here should suit our car fairly well - much better
than Hockeheim, that's for sure - so I think we'll have a
good race."
Christijan Albers (NED), Car #19: "The
circuit in Budapest is a real challenge: it`s tight, twisty
and undulating, making life very difficult for the drivers.
When combined with the high track temperatures, racing at
the Hungaroring is always very tough. However, I love coming
to this circuit because the course is a real test for a driver`s
skill and the reliability of his car. We`re going to have
to be at the top of our game if we expect to challenge our
rivals again this weekend, so I'm going to go for it and do
everything I can to push us up the grid."
Markus Winkelhock (GER), Test and Reserve Driver:
"I am really happy that the team has given me the chance
to once again be the Friday test driver at the Hungarian Grand
Prix. After the good weekend I had in Hockenheim, I`ll try
to do a good job in Budapest. Unfortunately, I don`t know
the track - having never raced on it - but that shouldn`t
be a big problem; I should be able to learn it fairly quickly.
So I am really looking forward for the upcoming weekend and
giving the team all the valuable data it needs to have a successful
weekend."
Colin Kolles, Managing Director: "The
team has come straight here from Hockenheim, so we hope to
put aside the disappointment of the FIA`s decision to exclude
us from the results of last week`s race and instead focus
on our positive momentum. We have a reliable car package,
so we don`t expect the heat and dust to affect us very much.
We are reaching a critical stage in the season for Midland
F1 and the team is committed more than ever to scoring points
and improving our competitiveness."
James Key, Technical Director: "Hungary
is going to be an interesting race, because next to Monaco,
it's the circuit where aero efficency plays the least important
role. It's a twisty track, so we'll be running high downforce
levels. Traditionally, it`s also very hot, although whether
that will be the case remains to be seen. There are always
many variables at this track, like dust and wind, so we`ll
have to work harder than ever to maximise performance. In
any case, the challenges here will be very different from
Hockenheim and we think that Hungary will suit our car`s characteristics
better than Hockenheim, or even Magny-Cours, for that matter.
So I think we can go there with a reasonably positive outlook."
Johnny Herbert, Sporting Relations Manager: "It's
unfortunate that our results in Hockenheim were thrown out,
but that doesn't change the fact that our race pace was genuinely
competitive there. The wing elements in question didn't contribute
to any aspect of our performance, so correcting the problem
shouldn't compromise us at all. Tyre selection will be crucial
in Hungary, so if we can select the right compound and qualify
where we've been slotting recently, up in Q2, then hopefully
we can have a strong race. The track should suit our car fairly
well, so we'll concentrate on rebounding strongly and scoring
our best results of the year here."
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